As a dedicated follower of Oda Kaori‘s work, I have been captivated by her unique and thought-provoking journey through Japan’s subterranean spaces. From the 2015 “Aragane” to the recent “Underground,” Oda has masterfully woven together documentaries and fiction, creating a trilogy that leaves audiences in awe.
In 2015, the first installment of a three-part series focusing on underground environments started with “Aragane.” The following piece, “Cenote,” was released in 2019. The final chapter, titled “Underground” by Oda Kaori, takes us from Sapporo’s subway system to caves in Okinawa, which are known locally as “gama.” This film represents a shift in direction for the director, as her prior contributions to this trilogy were documentaries.
As a passionate cinephile, I must confess that “Underground” isn’t the first time Emirja Oda has blended fiction and reality in her films. In fact, this technique was also evident in “Thus a Noise Speaks,” a critically acclaimed 2012 production she crafted during her college years in the U.S. This film, which focused on her family, also incorporated both fictional and documentary aspects.
In the Tokyo International Film Festival’s Nippon Cinema Now section, the film “Underground” features Yoshigai Nao portraying a cryptic character who subtly leads Oda through his poetic journeys that delve into the liminal spaces of darkness and light, life and death, past and present. Simultaneously, she carves out her own unique identity within this narrative.
During an interview, Oda shared that “Underground” was not originally conceived as the concluding part of a trilogy. Instead, her intention was to showcase different underground locations across Japan and their effects on the local communities, which she found intriguing. She stated, “I wanted to capture various underground spaces in Japan and how they influenced the people residing nearby.
Apart from her other desires, she yearned for the stimulus that fictional works offer: “Right from the start, I felt compelled to incorporate a fictitious element,” she explains. “This approach allowed me to portray certain aspects openly and without reserve.
The film “Underground” represents the culmination of a three-year journey for Oda, who traveled from Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island, where she shot footage in the Sapporo subway, to Okinawa, the country’s southernmost prefecture, where she captured a local historian discussing how Okinawans sheltered in caves during the 1945 U.S. invasion and, in some instances, chose mass suicide as their fate. “I aimed to illustrate a prolonged timeframe and diverse locations,” Oda noted.
Some parts of her video recordings were transformed into independent films. For instance, the Sapporo segment was included in the 2022 short film named “Underground,” and the Okinawa segment was re-edited to form the 2023 short film “Gama.” Oda states that she crafted a story through editing, although it’s not a traditional linear narrative. She emphasizes that she was meticulous in ensuring each segment could be understood as a standalone piece, capable of being viewed independently.
After a decade of sticking to the same theme, Oda is eager for something new. “I’m not planning a large-scale movie,” she shares. “At the moment, I’m creating short films together with my mom.
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2024-11-01 02:17